Entrepreneurship is a key driver of economic growth and development and one of the fastest-growing programs in business schools worldwide. And no one does entrepreneurship like NC State. Organizations large and small recognize the need for entrepreneurial thinking in the global marketplace, and are seeking creative, innovative and socially-minded entrepreneurship graduates at a record pace. Over the years, we’ve graduated scores of entrepreneurial thinkers who are making waves in the business world – both as startup founders and within existing companies.
About our Program
Poole College’s Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Concentration in Entrepreneurship is a cross-disciplinary program, focusing on the challenges of identifying, exploring, and implementing opportunities for value creation.
We create, build and innovate within organizations to get things done – for ourselves and for others. By taking Poole College’s entrepreneurship courses, students will learn how to create the changes they want to see in the world, including but not limited to generating personal wealth. Students’ course experiences facilitate the development of important entrepreneur mindsets through the creation of their own new ventures and by driving innovation through the organizations for which they work.
Students begin their journey with MIE 310, which serves as the prerequisite to 400-level coursework. This course provides a high-level overview of the entrepreneurial processes necessary for value creation. Additionally, MIE 419, a course curated through the Entrepreneurship Clinic, allows students to gain entrepreneurial skills by helping a local venture address a specific challenge that company or organization faces. Finally, MIE 410, 412 and 413 deliver in-depth experiences that allow students to gain expertise with more specific aspects of innovation and entrepreneurship processes.
Together, our courses provide real-world experiences for students to develop the skills and knowledge required to engage in business innovation and entrepreneurship. These courses thus provide essential elements for students to enable them to participate fully – both personally and professionally – in contemporary society.
No. 1 in Entrepreneurship
NC State has been ranked No. 1 in the Southeast and No. 15 nationally as a top school for entrepreneurship.
At Poole College, we emphasize an entrepreneurial, growth-oriented mindset. In particular, we instill the belief that, with time and effort, everyone can grow their ability to be an entrepreneur. This growth-oriented mindset of entrepreneurship enables students to respond well to setbacks as well as more effectively set, pursue and achieve their goals.
Our students know, that with time and effort, they can grow their ability to think and act entrepreneurially, whether building their own company from the ground up or acting as an “intrapreneur” and using their skills to grow existing companies.
Jeffrey Pollack
Professor of Entrepreneurship
What Will I Learn?
Entrepreneurship concentration graduates will understand how to:
Organize, analyze and apply information to make business decisions.
Recognize social responsibility issues, ethical dilemmas and alternative solutions of business organizations.
Integrate business concepts to entrepreneurial ventures.
Build and grow new business ventures.
Identify and analyze opportunities.
Research, write and present fully-integrated implementation timelines.
Evaluate methods for funding generation for entrepreneurial opportunities.
Learn from the Best
Our faculty are entrepreneurs, investors, consultants and executives. They offer a broad range of experiences, from working in small family-owned ventures and larger firms to commercializing technology. One thing our faculty have in common is the commitment to entrepreneurship education and the belief that every student can grow their entrepreneurial ability.
Why Entrepreneurship at NC State?
NC State is among eight universities to be ranked in the top 20 for both undergraduate and graduate entrepreneurship programs in the country by The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine for 2021.
From living with like-minded entrepreneurs in the Albright Entrepreneurs Village to co-working and developing entrepreneurial prototypes in the Entrepreneurship Garage on Centennial Campus, students have access to the resources and network required to build their entrepreneurial skills. Programs like the NC State Entrepreneurship Clinic, located at Raleigh Founded and housed in Poole College, embed students into Raleigh’s entrepreneurial ecosystem with great results — serving more than 1,000 students who have worked with over 350 company partners and counting.
“We can give NC State students the chance to engage with the entrepreneurship community in many, many different and meaningful ways. That’s what NC State does. Our goal is to pull students out of the classroom and put them out there into the entrepreneurial ecosystem in a way that makes sense for them.” – Jon Carr, Jenkins Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship, discussing with WRAL-TV the future of business and growth in the Triangle.
Entrepreneurship at NC State
The entrepreneurial spirit is contagious at NC State. If you have a bright idea, big or small, the NC State community will be there with you, offering technical, legal and financial help through the university’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Students start their time at NC State Poole College of Management as either a management first-year student (if you are a freshman) or in a major (if you are a transfer student). Regardless of your path, you will have plenty of time to explore the different things you want to do in business and entrepreneurship.
The business administration, entrepreneurship program requires that students complete 120 credits towards the degree, comprised of courses in humanities and social sciences, mathematics, natural sciences, general electives and credits specific to the entrepreneurship program. Students also get a broad education in key business areas by taking core courses in finance, human resources management, IT, marketing, and operations and supply chain management.
Business Administration major – Entrepreneurship concentration requirements include 46 credits:
Core Business Courses (34 credits), includingMIE 310 Introduction to Entrepreneurship, BUS 320 Financial Management, BUS 360 Marketing Methods and MIE 480 Business Policy and Strategy
Entrepreneurship Requirements (9 credits), MIE 410 Business Opportunity Analysis, MIE 412 Finance and Accounting for Entrepreneurs, and MIE 413 New Venture Planning.
Entrepreneurship Clinic Practicum (3 credits), MIE 418 Social Entrepreneurship Clinic Practicum or MIE 419 Entrepreneurship Clinic Practicum
For full degree requirements, visit the NC State Catalog. To view individual courses, descriptions and schedules, use the Course Search.
Experiential Learning in Action: New Venture Studio
While the Andrews Launch Accelerator provides students with the funding, resources and guidance needed to take their own startup to the next level, the Venture Studio works with existing companies to expand their products, offerings or processes.
